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Recently, I've been dealing with a nightmare of a blocked toilet. Last night, I inserted a hose about 1.5 to 2 meters into the pipe and let it run for about 30 minutes. During this process, there was no sign of a blocked pipe as the water flowed smoothly without any overflow. However, as soon as I flushed, the water drained very slowly, filling all the way to the top of the toilet bowl. I'm also experiencing a similar issue with the bathroom sink. I can hear air popping out from the other whenever I use either the toilet or the bathroom sink. I've included more details in the images and video, as well as the products I've used so far from Bunnings. I am confused and don't know how to fix this anymore. Any suggestions?
Hi @MrConfused,
You might like to try a drain auger, but apart from that, it could be time to call in a plumber. Those products will work on a variety of materials, but they won't shift tree roots. Tree roots can infiltrate and block sewage pipes through a process known as root intrusion. This occurs when tree roots, seeking water and nutrients, grow towards and into underground pipes. Older terracotta pipes are particularly susceptible to root intrusion as they have joints that leak moisture with age every meter. The property I'm in has older pipes and requires a yearly clear-out by a professional. Surprising the nearest tree is over 30 metres from the pipes yet still manages to penetrate them with roots.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
The water from the hose won't break up stubborn blockages, whereas the auger might @MrConfused. It won't get through tree roots, unless they are very fine, though.
A toilet cistern dumps 4/6 litres of water into the bowl relatively quickly. Even with the hose of full blast, it's not delivering close to that. The drain might be allowing the water from the hose to get through, but when the higher volumn from the cistern enters it backfills.
Mitchell
The Gerni attachment would likely work on most blockages that weren't tree roots @MrConfused. The limiting factor is whether you'll reach the blockage with the 15m length. The plunger would probably be a bit better than the pump-style one you're currently using.
Mitchell
